We love to dance — especially country western dancing — and we have been putting on a weekend of dance in April for more than 25 years. We developed a weekend of dances and workshop where you can learn then practice what you’ve learned. Best of all, you don’t need a partner or experience. The whole emphasis on this weekend (and all our dances) is to create an environment that you can make mistakes, laugh it off, and keep going. you can learn the basics or a few new moves if you already know it. Professional instruction in both our workshops and lessons will get you on the dance floor and (along with the rest of us) we will try to remember what we were taught.

Photo from Stomp 2015 West Coast Swing workshop with Alan Gaskill

This LGBTQ+allies dance weekend is a great bargain too: several hours of professional instruction and three dances all for under $100 (that is if you don’t procrastinate). You can learn two-step, west coast swing, a bunch of line dances, and the hustle and one other type of dance – such as cha-cha, nightclub two-step, polka, or waltz. Dance your boots off to a eclectic mix of music our DJs pick from many genres (country, pop, r&b, Americana, and more). We even have the occasional dance performance such as our own “fabulous” Boston ReneGAYdes during our Saturday dance.

No experience necessary (Don’t you fret none, we’ll learn ya – we have beginner lessons throughout the weekend and a lot of the line dances and other partner dances can be learned on the fly) and no partner required.

Off season rates! Experience Provincetown just before the busy season starts. Guest houses are on their off-season rates — as much as 1/3 to 1/2 off their peak season rate.

It really is a great get-away. You’ll head home tired but with a smile on your face and a bunch of new friends from not just around New England but in Canada, DC, Philly, and even Atlanta!

The details:

Kellian has taught a number of times at our Dirty Water Saloon venue and she’s a joy to both learn from and dance with. We are excited that her group will perform for us as well.

Social Dancing: 8-11 pm
Killian and Bucky will be doing the DJing for the social dance portion. Killian will be playing a couple of lindy dance music sets and our DJ Bucky who will play ya some varied music (contemporary country, pop, americana, r&b, etc) to two-step, west coast swing, lindy and east coast, line dance galore, and even a waltz or two.

Performance:
9-ish: Kellian and her dance group will perform for us. I’m excited to see what they have in store.

About the venue:
$12 suggested sliding-scale donation includes lessons!
1st UU Church of JP, 6 Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain (across from the Footlight Club)
This is a LGBT+allies non-alcohol dance. We don’t care who you love or if you lead or follow, we just want you to dance, socialize, learn, and mostly have fun.

What a great opening night for our Queer Country Social dance. We had roughly 20 people show up for the beginner lesson. Most were a meetup group event and a few from a south shore group.

It was amazing to see these people come out and do something they never done before. Most had not danced anything like social dancing since they were in grade school.

I was the basic two step teacher and I’m amazed they all picked up the basic two step pattern and go through a line dance lesson that was not easy. They rocked.

I’m sure they didn’t feel that way, I know I didn’t when I first came to a dance back in 2003. It took me many months to work up the nerve to step through that door. The only dance experience I had was on the club scene. I was looking for something a bit better than a bar to find someone. I didn’t expect to find a community. That first dance, Bucky came up to say hello and asked me to dance. How daunting! I sucked — toes were stepped on, I think I hit Ruth with my elbow, and my turns were all over the place (sorry Jim). There were so many people infinitely better than I was — I felt so clumsy and awkward. But Bucky reminded me that I never did this before and encouraged me to keep at it. I did. So much so that I’m president of the club and help DJ, teach, organize, and am part of the performance group. While I didn’t find a partner, I found a bunch of friends and my life is richer for it.

Social dancing is challenging but fun. A 2003 New England Medical Journal article “Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly“, showed that out of 18 activities, social dancing was significantly more effective at keeping your faculties as you grow older. I believe it’s the combination of being hyper aware of your surroundings while socializing and moving to the rythm of music.

You just don’t get that in a gym.

I love this group for their mix of ages, genders, and ability levels — the most refreshing is that we mix it up. We don’t care what role you dance, who you love, what color your skin. We just like to dance and hope you do too.

Gays for Patsy hosts three events:

weekly dances (Dirty Water Saloon) at Bella Luna Restaurant in JP on Tuesdays from 7-10 pm

monthly dances (Queer Country Social) at the church (3rd Saturdays from Sept-May and a Friday June 1 pride dance)

I also love going to Americana Sundays in Somerville on Sundays from 8-10 at Thunder Road on Somerville Ave. that features a live band lead by Greg Klyma – a queer friendly guy who took his date to one of our dances and loved it. Though not a queer venue, we end up taking over the dance floor more than not. It is a small venue and quite not intimidating at all.